Button keen to get test time in 2017 car

Jenson Button says he wants to still be involved in the testing of McLaren's 2017 car while he takes a sabbatical from racing in F1.

The 36-year-old announced he will not race for McLaren in 2017 earlier this month, instead becoming an ambassador for the team and taking on a reserve driver role as Stoffel Vandoorne is promoted to a race seat. While eager for a break from the F1 schedule, Button could return to race in 2018 and as a result wants track time in next year's car alongside his simulator work.

Asked if he is keen to ensure he gets time physically testing a 2017 car next season, Button replied: "Yeah, it would be nice.

"And it’s always possible – there’s 25 days testing… I haven’t talked to Ron [Dennis] about it, we haven’t mentioned it at all. There’s a lot of testing and I'm sure the race drivers aren’t going to want to do three days testing back-to-back.

"First of all they won’t be able to hold their head up, which will be awesome. Now drivers get into a Formula One car, first day they do over 100 laps, 120 laps. For us to do 100 laps 10 years ago was impossible, you couldn’t keep your neck up, and to do back-to-back days was horrific.

"[During the tyre war] we did two days, maybe even three days and you were hanging. Third day you were just holding on."

Pascal Wehrlein has been testing 2017 tyres for Pirelli using a Mercedes mule car designed to simulate increased downforce levels, and after his first three days in the car ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix he noted a clear difference physically.

"It was harder for the neck, so I will do even more training this winter to prepare!" Wehrlein admitted. "Of course it's more difficult, the faster you go the harder it is."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.